MY COMMENTS ON "THE LORD OF THE RINGS" TRILOGY
One of my earlier blogs is on "The Fellowship of the Ring". If you click on the hyperlink http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/2004/01/a-beautiful-book-fellowship-of-ring.html you will find my comments on it. I said there that I could not wait to read the remaining parts. I was mistaken : I have waited long to read the remaining two parts ! However, today, I fully agree with the Urdu poet who said that the fruit of waiting is sweet ("Intezaar ka phal meetha hota hai" !).
My wife presented me "The Two Towers" for our wedding anniversary. Our workplace was closed from Christmas to New Year. This gave me ample time to finish "The Two Towers", the second part of the trilogy. Having read it and having time during the week, I went and bought "The Return of the King" as well ! I have just finished reading that book today as well and having come to its end, I feel as if a spell has been broken or I have just come out of a (mild !) trance.
What an imagination the author Tolkien had ! The way he creates the fictional land of Middle Earth and the deliberately ambiguous time that the story is set in make for a perfect setting to launch the fantasy. He also makes a geography of Middle Earth so vividly that I feel that this is a region that could exist today ! In fact, the maps at the end of the book serve to bring the mythical land alive. Please click on http://www.tolkien.co.uk/frame.asp and check out the interactive maps if you like !
As I read the book, images of fearsome orcs were conjured in my mind. It helps that when I saw the movie, I didn't understand much of it .... nor do I recall much of it ! However, other movies HAVE created their images in my head :-( The name of Frodo conjures a figure much like Dobby in the movie version of Harry Potter's Chamber of Secrets :-( It has taken me quite an effort to remove that image from my head and think of a short, stout man with long fingers, which is how Tolkien describes hobbits in his books !
If you read my earlier blog on the Fellowship, you will see that I feel that the ring itself is a metaphor for power. In "The Two Towers", I see no metaphors. Perhaps, it is too early for me to find any ! I have been too deeply engrossed in the books this week !
NOTE : IF YOU WANT TO READ THE BOOKS OR SEE THE MOVIE, PLEASE READ NO FURTHER !
The highlight of "The Two Towers" for me is the spirit that Frodo and also Samwise Gamgee display. Before getting there, the alliance of convenience between Gollum and Sam and Frodo is formed. Gollum wants the ring at any cost and feels that he must therefore accompany it until he can steal it for himself. In him, one can see the struggle between the urge to steal the ring and the fear of Sam and Frodo. Sam calls it the Slinker-Stinker battle ! In a mild way, I suppose all of us pass through this battle in our lives as well !
One other lesson that is there for the taking is to stick to one's values and to keep the ultimate goal always in mind. With words, Tolkien makes the despair, darkness and desolation of Mordor and Cirith Ungol (Spider's Lair) something that I could identify with. I could almost feel the oppressive, stifling atmosphere that Frodo and Sam experienced with Gollum in the spider Shelob's lair ! When little is going their way, they still stick to their onerous job of taking the Ring right into the heart of the lair of the enemy Sauron. If I can do likewise if and when things get tough, I guess the hundreds of rupees I spent on the books would have been worth their weight in gold !
The first part of "The Two Towers" deals with the adventures of Merry and Pippin. Gandalf re-emerges from the mines of Moria and a terrible battle ensues at Isengrad where Saruman, the White resides. Saruman originally was the foremost wizard in skill, but the greed for the ring has defiled his virtue. He faces the tree-beings called Ents and meets his downfall in the battle against them. Gandalf meanwhile also urges the king Theoden to come out of his downcast nature and take on the responsibility of leading the riders of Rohan in battle. Theoden does so and with a peerless valour.
In "The Return of the King", he becomes a martyr. Strangely, there is a parallel in this book just like in "The Two Towers". Theoden looks on Gandalf as a bearer of bad news initially due to the false counsel of Wormtongue, a spy of Saruman. In a similar way, Denethor of Gondor treats Gandalf as a bearer of bad news and a challenger to his supremacy in Gondor. There the similarity ends since Denethor is unmasked as a reluctant spy of Sauron, the evil lord of Mordor.
The siege of Gondor leads to an epic battle. Allies from far and near come to help Gondor. Theoden's daughter Eowyn and Merry combine to best the captain of the Black Forces. Both suffer from trying wounds, as does Faramir, the brother of Boromir and son of Denathor. Still, despite the setbacks, the enemy keeps coming. Just when it appears that Gondor will be vanquished, since more ships probably bringing pirates come from the sea, the tide of the battle turns !
For instead of bringing pirates, the ships bring Aragorn and a host of allies who come from the Path of the Death, a way that was cursed to normal people ! That is the turning point and soon Gondor is liberated from the orcs and the other dark forces of Sauron. At Gandalf's urging, the allies decide to challenge Sauron at Mordor to give Frodo and Sam as much help as possible.
For Frodo and Sam, the going is terrible in Mordor. Frodo is captured and tortured by orcs and Sam finally finds him after a lonely search. Together, they wear the guise of orcs and move towards the craters of Mount Doom where the ring has to be thrown into. The two are hungry and thirsty and the loyal Sam sacrifices his portion of food and drink for the Ring-bearer. Frodo, on his part, refuses to give in to the strain of carrying the ring. He sees vision, he has nightmares and the ring becomes heavier as they approach Mount Doom.
Inch by inch, the two of them climb Mount Doom. Sam carries Frodo for some of the distance. At this point, they meet their old "ally", Gollum. He knows this is the last chance for him to get the ring. At the edge of the crater, the temptation of the ring overcomes Frodo. Paradoxically, it is Gollum who helps him. He bites the ring finger to get the ring, but tragically, he falls with it into the crater.
That signifies the end of the battle for Sauron ! The enemies are destroyed and a new king is crowned. What I like in the book is the way the triumph of Aragorn is shown. The celebrations and his march to Gondor are the beginning of a new era, it appears.
To my mind, there are also parallels with Hindu mythology ! Gandalf is curiously like Drona or Bheeshma, with aspects of both the counsellor and teacher as well as the aged sire in a terrible battle. Aragorn with his compassion and humility and strength is like Rama and doesn't the heroism of Eowyn and her respect for Aragorn make her something like Sita ?! Of course, she marries Faramir, so there the parallel fails. Even the eagle Gwaihir that bears Gandalf .... isn't that curiously like Garuda ?!
To me, the three books tell an engaging tale. Yet strangely it is not the story itself that is the hallmark of the books. What comes out instead is a time and place that Tolkien has visualised - and that to me is the best part of the book. Lothlorien, Galadriel, Gloin, Elrond .... the names are all lyrical and yet ambiguous. Pronouncing them does not bring a place in my mind save Middle Earth ! When I think of the names and places and the characters in the tale, Middle Earth and all its legends come to my mind, one after the other !
My holiday has ended tonight and I think the highlight of these 7 days has been the trilogy. Tolkien has built on the mythology by explaining the other legends in the appendices. Not only are there maps in the book, there are also notes on pronouncing Elvish names and on the scripts and languages used in Middle Earth.
After reading the book, not only is the geography and history of Middle Earth in my head for now, but also its mythology and legends. So whenever I read or speak of Lothlorien or Galadriel or Tom Bombadil or the Silmaril, I will recall Tolkien and his fantastic power of imagination. If you are in the mood for a tale that gives birth to a mythology which will captivate you, try out the Lord of the Rings trilogy !
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
NOTE:
I had originally written this blog in another site. Since that site is no longer accessible, I am uploading it in this blog at http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/ using the same date as the original blog dates.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
===== COMMON TEXT FOR ALL BLOGS =====
++++++ BEGINS ++++++
When I created my first blog, I thought I was
being clever by being "anonymous" and let my
opinions speak for themselves (see the archive !)
Imagine my embarrassment when I saw my name
displayed ! So now, while I still retain the blog
name as "Anonymous Expressions", I will only
request you to ignore my name and concentrate on
my opinions instead !
ALL COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED
AS THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR OWNERS.
The opinions expressed in the Weblogs are my
personal opinions. Please tell me if you spot any
factual mistakes or don't like the way I have
expressed a view. If I can see your point, I will
correct the mistake. You can email me at
kiran.suma@gmail.com.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
One of my earlier blogs is on "The Fellowship of the Ring". If you click on the hyperlink http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/2004/01/a-beautiful-book-fellowship-of-ring.html you will find my comments on it. I said there that I could not wait to read the remaining parts. I was mistaken : I have waited long to read the remaining two parts ! However, today, I fully agree with the Urdu poet who said that the fruit of waiting is sweet ("Intezaar ka phal meetha hota hai" !).
My wife presented me "The Two Towers" for our wedding anniversary. Our workplace was closed from Christmas to New Year. This gave me ample time to finish "The Two Towers", the second part of the trilogy. Having read it and having time during the week, I went and bought "The Return of the King" as well ! I have just finished reading that book today as well and having come to its end, I feel as if a spell has been broken or I have just come out of a (mild !) trance.
What an imagination the author Tolkien had ! The way he creates the fictional land of Middle Earth and the deliberately ambiguous time that the story is set in make for a perfect setting to launch the fantasy. He also makes a geography of Middle Earth so vividly that I feel that this is a region that could exist today ! In fact, the maps at the end of the book serve to bring the mythical land alive. Please click on http://www.tolkien.co.uk/frame.asp and check out the interactive maps if you like !
As I read the book, images of fearsome orcs were conjured in my mind. It helps that when I saw the movie, I didn't understand much of it .... nor do I recall much of it ! However, other movies HAVE created their images in my head :-( The name of Frodo conjures a figure much like Dobby in the movie version of Harry Potter's Chamber of Secrets :-( It has taken me quite an effort to remove that image from my head and think of a short, stout man with long fingers, which is how Tolkien describes hobbits in his books !
If you read my earlier blog on the Fellowship, you will see that I feel that the ring itself is a metaphor for power. In "The Two Towers", I see no metaphors. Perhaps, it is too early for me to find any ! I have been too deeply engrossed in the books this week !
NOTE : IF YOU WANT TO READ THE BOOKS OR SEE THE MOVIE, PLEASE READ NO FURTHER !
The highlight of "The Two Towers" for me is the spirit that Frodo and also Samwise Gamgee display. Before getting there, the alliance of convenience between Gollum and Sam and Frodo is formed. Gollum wants the ring at any cost and feels that he must therefore accompany it until he can steal it for himself. In him, one can see the struggle between the urge to steal the ring and the fear of Sam and Frodo. Sam calls it the Slinker-Stinker battle ! In a mild way, I suppose all of us pass through this battle in our lives as well !
One other lesson that is there for the taking is to stick to one's values and to keep the ultimate goal always in mind. With words, Tolkien makes the despair, darkness and desolation of Mordor and Cirith Ungol (Spider's Lair) something that I could identify with. I could almost feel the oppressive, stifling atmosphere that Frodo and Sam experienced with Gollum in the spider Shelob's lair ! When little is going their way, they still stick to their onerous job of taking the Ring right into the heart of the lair of the enemy Sauron. If I can do likewise if and when things get tough, I guess the hundreds of rupees I spent on the books would have been worth their weight in gold !
The first part of "The Two Towers" deals with the adventures of Merry and Pippin. Gandalf re-emerges from the mines of Moria and a terrible battle ensues at Isengrad where Saruman, the White resides. Saruman originally was the foremost wizard in skill, but the greed for the ring has defiled his virtue. He faces the tree-beings called Ents and meets his downfall in the battle against them. Gandalf meanwhile also urges the king Theoden to come out of his downcast nature and take on the responsibility of leading the riders of Rohan in battle. Theoden does so and with a peerless valour.
In "The Return of the King", he becomes a martyr. Strangely, there is a parallel in this book just like in "The Two Towers". Theoden looks on Gandalf as a bearer of bad news initially due to the false counsel of Wormtongue, a spy of Saruman. In a similar way, Denethor of Gondor treats Gandalf as a bearer of bad news and a challenger to his supremacy in Gondor. There the similarity ends since Denethor is unmasked as a reluctant spy of Sauron, the evil lord of Mordor.
The siege of Gondor leads to an epic battle. Allies from far and near come to help Gondor. Theoden's daughter Eowyn and Merry combine to best the captain of the Black Forces. Both suffer from trying wounds, as does Faramir, the brother of Boromir and son of Denathor. Still, despite the setbacks, the enemy keeps coming. Just when it appears that Gondor will be vanquished, since more ships probably bringing pirates come from the sea, the tide of the battle turns !
For instead of bringing pirates, the ships bring Aragorn and a host of allies who come from the Path of the Death, a way that was cursed to normal people ! That is the turning point and soon Gondor is liberated from the orcs and the other dark forces of Sauron. At Gandalf's urging, the allies decide to challenge Sauron at Mordor to give Frodo and Sam as much help as possible.
For Frodo and Sam, the going is terrible in Mordor. Frodo is captured and tortured by orcs and Sam finally finds him after a lonely search. Together, they wear the guise of orcs and move towards the craters of Mount Doom where the ring has to be thrown into. The two are hungry and thirsty and the loyal Sam sacrifices his portion of food and drink for the Ring-bearer. Frodo, on his part, refuses to give in to the strain of carrying the ring. He sees vision, he has nightmares and the ring becomes heavier as they approach Mount Doom.
Inch by inch, the two of them climb Mount Doom. Sam carries Frodo for some of the distance. At this point, they meet their old "ally", Gollum. He knows this is the last chance for him to get the ring. At the edge of the crater, the temptation of the ring overcomes Frodo. Paradoxically, it is Gollum who helps him. He bites the ring finger to get the ring, but tragically, he falls with it into the crater.
That signifies the end of the battle for Sauron ! The enemies are destroyed and a new king is crowned. What I like in the book is the way the triumph of Aragorn is shown. The celebrations and his march to Gondor are the beginning of a new era, it appears.
To my mind, there are also parallels with Hindu mythology ! Gandalf is curiously like Drona or Bheeshma, with aspects of both the counsellor and teacher as well as the aged sire in a terrible battle. Aragorn with his compassion and humility and strength is like Rama and doesn't the heroism of Eowyn and her respect for Aragorn make her something like Sita ?! Of course, she marries Faramir, so there the parallel fails. Even the eagle Gwaihir that bears Gandalf .... isn't that curiously like Garuda ?!
To me, the three books tell an engaging tale. Yet strangely it is not the story itself that is the hallmark of the books. What comes out instead is a time and place that Tolkien has visualised - and that to me is the best part of the book. Lothlorien, Galadriel, Gloin, Elrond .... the names are all lyrical and yet ambiguous. Pronouncing them does not bring a place in my mind save Middle Earth ! When I think of the names and places and the characters in the tale, Middle Earth and all its legends come to my mind, one after the other !
My holiday has ended tonight and I think the highlight of these 7 days has been the trilogy. Tolkien has built on the mythology by explaining the other legends in the appendices. Not only are there maps in the book, there are also notes on pronouncing Elvish names and on the scripts and languages used in Middle Earth.
After reading the book, not only is the geography and history of Middle Earth in my head for now, but also its mythology and legends. So whenever I read or speak of Lothlorien or Galadriel or Tom Bombadil or the Silmaril, I will recall Tolkien and his fantastic power of imagination. If you are in the mood for a tale that gives birth to a mythology which will captivate you, try out the Lord of the Rings trilogy !
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
NOTE:
I had originally written this blog in another site. Since that site is no longer accessible, I am uploading it in this blog at http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/ using the same date as the original blog dates.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
===== COMMON TEXT FOR ALL BLOGS =====
++++++ BEGINS ++++++
When I created my first blog, I thought I was
being clever by being "anonymous" and let my
opinions speak for themselves (see the archive !)
Imagine my embarrassment when I saw my name
displayed ! So now, while I still retain the blog
name as "Anonymous Expressions", I will only
request you to ignore my name and concentrate on
my opinions instead !
ALL COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED
AS THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR OWNERS.
The opinions expressed in the Weblogs are my
personal opinions. Please tell me if you spot any
factual mistakes or don't like the way I have
expressed a view. If I can see your point, I will
correct the mistake. You can email me at
kiran.suma@gmail.com.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Comments
Post a Comment